Irrespective of who is contesting in polls in Tamil Nadu, biryani always wins

Decadent biryani from M. Abbu Bhai's kitchen entices voters and political parties during election season in Chennai.

M. Abbu Bhai’s kitchen at Tondiarpet has three pitch-black cauldrons of oil roaring to life as the firewood picks up heat. Onions, chillies, and whole spices sputter while the meat waits patiently for its turn. It is a relatively small order today — biryani, chicken 65, ennai kathrikai, and a sweet made of bread for a birthday party. The aroma entices even cats in the area as they promptly poke their head through the gates of his kitchen. This is the sign and a promise of a decadent, sumptuous meal.

In a week, the kitchen, like many others in the city, will function non-stop leading up to the Lok Sabha election scheduled for April 19. Thousands of kilos of chicken and mutton biryani will be prepared from here, on orders from political parties. After all, the biryani is a meal of celebration after every election — a signal of respite for cadre who would have finished their pre-poll duties; to voters who would have picked their candidate; and polling officials who would have tried to sneak in a few bites amid their stressful day. Enquiries have already begun trickling in from the DMK, the AIADMK, the NTK, the Congress and the DMDK. “However, things will get finalised only a week before the election,” says Abbu Bhai, a third-generation biryani master. According to him, till about 15 years ago, biryani in Chennai was synonymous with Royapuram and the occasional plush hotel in Central and South Chennai.

It was also not associated with elections until the early 2000s, adds documentary film-maker and commentator, Kombai S. Anwar. “The biryani is a ubiquitous favourite for people across class backgrounds and was employed as an easy bait to get voters to the polling booth. More importantly, it is easy to pack. It is probably why it became the meal of the election,” he says.